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This crunchy cucumber carrot salad is a light, refreshing, and delicious side dish. Fresh vegetables tossed in an Asian-inspired sweet and savory dressing make this simple salad a great side dish for any meal!
What Makes This Cucumber Carrot Salad Recipe Great
I love simple, veggie-forward salads that are quick to make, have a satisfying crunch, and come with a delicious dressing. Introducing this Crunchy Cucumber Carrot Salad! Full of fresh ingredients and fresh flavor, this simple side dish is such a crowd-pleaser.
This Asian-inspired, light, and refreshing salad is the perfect side dish to serve with grilled chicken or steak or as a side to accompany a main dish. Raw veggies including crisp cucumber, carrots, and green onions are tossed in a nutty sesame oil-coconut aminos dressing.
It takes just 5 minutes to prep and can be made up to a day in advance. Perfect for hot summer days, this simple recipe will be on repeat all season long.
Ingredient Notes
- mini cucumbers: There's no need to peel baby cucumbers as they have a thinner skin that is not super tough. If you use an alternative cucumber with thicker skin, peel if desired.
- matchstick carrots: You can cut fresh carrots into thin matchsticks, or buy a pre-cut package. Fresh is better in terms of crunch and texture.
- green onions
- coconut aminos: I used this instead of soy sauce to keep it gluten-free. You can also use Tamari if desired.
- rice vinegar
- sesame oil: This adds a nutty flavor to the dressing that is so yummy.
- hot honey: If you don't want the added spice, you can use regular honey or maple syrup.
- white sesame seeds
- salt & black pepper: Adjust to taste.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1
Add the cucumbers, carrots, and green onions to a large bowl.
Step 2
In a separate, small bowl, whisk the coconut aminos, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and hot honey together.
Step 3
Pour the sesame dressing mixture over the veggies and toss.
Step 4
Sprinkle with the sesame seeds, then season with salt and pepper to taste, and toss again.
Recipe Tips & Variations
- I used mini cucumbers, but you can use English cucumbers, Persian cucumbers, or another variety of regular cucumbers that you prefer. If they don't have thin skin, feel free to peel.
- I recommend thin carrot matchsticks. You can cut them yourself or buy a package of pre-cut carrots. Fresh veggies win in this recipe so you can also use a julienne peeler and to make them yourself.
- Instead of soy sauce, I used coconut aminos to make this gluten-free. Alternatively, you can use Tamari (a gluten-free soy sauce alternative) or regular soy sauce if you're not gluten-free.
- If you don't want the added spice, you can use regular honey or maple syrup.
- Feel free to add red pepper flakes for added heat.
Storage Tips
This crunchy salad is best served immediately as the veggies will get soggier as it sits. If you want to make it to serve at a later time, store the fresh-cut veggies in an airtight container in the fridge, and the dressing in a separate jar with a lid. Toss before serving.
Alternatively, you can store leftovers in an airtight container and eat them within 24 hours if you don't mind them softening a bit.
Recipe FAQs
I don't recommend making this carrot cucumber salad recipe too far ahead of time as one of the best features is the crunch. The longer it sits dressed, the soggier it will get. If you'd like to throw together the vegetables in an airtight container and store the dressing ingredients separately in the refrigerator. Toss before serving.
This would be perfect served with these Asian-Inspired Pork Meatballs, Grilled Chicken Thighs, Air Fryer Salmon, used as part of these Teriyaki Chicken Poke Bowls, or alongside these Air Fryer Pork Chops!
More Asian-Inspired Meals & Recipes
Asian-Inspired Crunchy Cucumber Carrot Salad Recipe
Equipment
- salad bowl
Ingredients
- 1 lb mini cucumbers, sliced into rounds
- 1 cup matchstick carrots
- ¼ cup green onions, thinly sliced into rounds
- 1 tbsp coconut aminos
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp hot honey
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Add the cucumbers, carrots, and green onions to a bowl.
- In a separate smaller bowl, whisk the coconut aminos, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and hot honey together.
- Pour the mixture over the veggies and toss.
- Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and season with salt and pepper to taste, and toss again.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Recipe Tips & Variations
- I used mini cucumbers, but you can use English cucumbers, Persian cucumbers, or another variety of regular cucumbers that you prefer. If they don't have thin skin, feel free to peel.
- I recommend thin carrot matchsticks. You can cut them yourself or buy a package of pre-cut carrots. Fresh veggies win in this recipe so you can also use a julienne peeler and to make them yourself.
- Instead of soy sauce, I used coconut aminos to make this gluten-free. Alternatively, you can use Tamari (a gluten-free soy sauce alternative) or regular soy sauce if you're not gluten-free.
- If you don't want the added spice, you can use regular honey or maple syrup.
- Feel free to add red pepper flakes for added heat.
Storage Tips
This crunchy salad is best served immediately as the veggies will get soggier as it sits. If you want to make it to serve at a later time, store the fresh-cut veggies in an airtight container in the fridge, and the dressing in a separate jar with a lid. Toss before serving. Alternatively, you can store leftovers in an airtight container and eat them within 24 hours if you don’t mind them softening a bit.Nutrition
All nutrition facts are an estimate and automatically calculated. While I fact check them using My Fitness Pal, please note that they may not always be 100% accurate and depend on ingredients used. Weigh your total and divide by the number of servings for the most accurate grams per serving size.
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